Philosophy and Retirement

Φιλοσοφοῦμεν ἐφ' ἠσυχίας· τοῦτο οἱ μισοῦντες ἡμᾶς ἠδίκησαν, ὡς εἴθε τι καὶ ἄλλο τοιοῦτον, ἳνα μᾶλλον εύεργέτας αὐτοὺς γινώσκωμεν. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἀδικουμένους εὖ πάσχειν, καὶ καλῶς πάσχοντας ἀδικεῖσθαι. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἠμέτερα τοιαῦτα. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἄλλους πείθομεν, αὐτόν γέ σε ἀντὶ πάντων εἰδέναι βουλόμεθα, ᾦ λόγον ὑπέχομεν ἡδέως τῶν ἡμετέρων, μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰδέναι πεπείσμεθα, καὶ πείθειν τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας. Ὑμῖν δὲ, παρακαλῶ, πᾶσα σπουδὴ γενέσθω νῦν γοῦν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, συμφωνῆσαι καὶ εἰς ἔν ἐλθεῖν τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης τμήματα κακῶς διεστῶτα, καὶ μάλιστα, εἰ λάβοιτε αὐτοὺς οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χιῶν διεστῶτας, ὅπερ ἐγω τετήρηκα. Τοῦτο καὶ ὑμῖν ἔμμισθον, ἄν εἴη τὸ δύνασθαι· καὶ ἡμῖν ἠ ἀναχώρησις ἀλυποτέρα, εἰ φανείημεν μὴ κενῶς ταύτην ἀρπάσαντες, ἀλλ' ἐκοντὶ ῥίψαντες ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς κατὰ πελάγους, ὥσπερ ὁ Ἰωνᾶς ἐκεῖνος ἵν' ὁ κλύδων παύσηται, καὶ σωθῶσιν ἀσφαλῶς οἱ ἐμπλέοντες. Εί δὲ οὐδὲν ἥττον χειμάζονται, τόγε ἡμέτερον εἰσενήνεκται. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, Ἐπιστολή Σωφρονιῳ Ὑπαρχῳ,

We are philosophizing at leisure. That is the harm those who hate us have inflicted on us, and if they would do more of the same, we would look upon them still more as benefactors. For it often happens that it goes well with those who are treated unjustly, while those who are treated well suffer injustices. That then is how things are with us. But if I cannot persuade others, I wish that you above all others, to whom I gladly give an account of my affairs, should know this, or rather I am persuaded that you do know it, and can persuade those who do not. But I beg you to give all diligence now, if you have not done so before, to bring together the woefully divided sections of the world, above all if you should understand, as I noted, that they are divided because of  petty interests. This would gain you reward, if you are able to accomplish it, and my retirement would have less to lament if I could see that I did not take to it in vain, but had willingly cast myself into the sea like Jonah that the storm might cease and sailors be saved. If, however, they do no better in the storm, I have done what I could. Saint Gregory Nazianzus , from a Letter to To the Prefect Sophronius,